Everyone has sad times, when bad things happen - like someone getting very sick or dying.

Sometimes feeling sad and low is normal.

If someone is feeling like this all or most of the time, then it could be depression (say dee-pre-shun). This is the name doctors give to a group of mental illnesses which can cause some people to feel really switched off about life for most of the time.

Alert: If you (or someone you know) feel so depressed that you want to harm yourself, then you need to talk to someone about it right away.

Talk to your trusted adults, like mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, your teacher or the school or youth counsellor.

Your doctor may help by suggesting that you talk to a health professional like a clinical psychologist (say s-eye-kol-o-jist) or a psychiatrist (say s-eye-k-eye-a-trist). (Psyche - is the Greek word for soul or mind.)

Carry on doing all the normal things in life, like going to school, going out with friends, doing chores, getting lots of exercise.

Get help if something bad is happening at school, eg. bullying.

Be a good listener if your friend wants to talk about what is making her feel so sad.

Offer to go with your friend if she wants to go and talk to a counsellor or a teacher at school.

Hang out with your friend to let her know that you care about her and she isn't all alone.

Stay in touch with your friend outside school times.

Talk to one of your trusted adults if your friend is talking about doing herself harm.

In Australia, if you are not sure what to do for yourself, or how to help your friend, you can call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or, if you live in South Australia, the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19. You could look at the Headspace website http://www.headspace.org.au if you or the person you are worried about are 12 - 15 years old.

"My parents split up a few years ago and it was really hard for my dad to get over it. He was so upset that at times he would get angry for no reason. I went and saw a School Counsellor which really helped me with my problems. I was then able to confront my parents and tell them what I wanted in my life.

They came around to the ideas and now I live a normal childhood and it's great. My dad has moved on and is getting married again soon, and I will be there to support him all the way.

I would like to tell everyone that if your parents break up, it's not the end of the world. Because we are still kids, we have all the rest of our lives to live." Renee.

"My uncle had some problems and he started to drink every day, then all day. He lost his job, then he got behind with the bills and he lost his house. He borrowed money from the family but he never paid it back because he spent it all on alcohol. Last year he finally went to talk to a counsellor and he is getting better every day. If you have problems, then you need to get help. Sometimes it is too hard to work things out on your own."

Even for little kids, life can be stressful at times. Feeling depressed or living with someone who is depressed affects everyone in the friends and family group.

Be kind to the person who is depressed but also be kind to yourself.

Keep healthy by eating and exercising. Keep happy by keeping up with friends and the activities you enjoy. Make sure that you stay happy yourself, and you will be strong enough to help others.

We've provided this information to help you to understand important things about staying healthy and happy. However, if you feel sick or unhappy, it is important to tell your mum or dad, a teacher or another grown-up.